Sen. Ted Cruz said after the State of the Union address that President Barack Obama’s Iran policy could lead to a nuclear weapon being detonated over a major U.S. city.

“I thought that was one of the most dangerous things in the entire speech,” Cruz said of Obama’s commitment to veto new Iran sanctions as talks continue with the international community. “What I fear is that we’re making the mistakes of the past  the same mistakes the Clinton administration made with North Korea. With North Korea, we relaxed the sanctions in exchange for amorphous promises, and the billions that North Korea received in relaxed sanctions, they used to develop nuclear weapons.

“The risk is unacceptable. When you have the leaders of a nation who have said, among other things, they intend to drive Israel into the sea and wipe them off the face of the map  if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, the risk is unacceptable that that weapon will be detonated over the skies of Tel Aviv or New York or Los Angeles,” Cruz said. “The results could be hundreds of thousands of innocent lives lost.”

That kind of rhetoric will get attention, with Cruz explaining his case about how the North Korean regime controlling nuclear weapons is less of a threat than Iran.

“What makes this much, much more dangerous than North Korea is, at the end of the day, Kim Jong Un wants to stay in power more than anything else, and for someone that wants to stay in power, deterrence is possible,” Cruz argued, saying the same may not be true of the Iranian leadership.

Cruz did find some areas of agreements with the president; he agreed with Obama on “streamlining red tape and reducing regulations.” But he did go on to mention that the president had “used that rhetoric before.” Cruz also mentioned a program Obama discussed: myRA, which, the president said, was “a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement savings.”

Obama described the program as a new savings bond that would encourage Americans to build a nest egg.

“I am a passionate supporter of anything that enables people to save on their own, to have assets that they own, that they control, that they can bequest to their kids,” Cruz said. “And so, depending on the details, that could be something that he could find a lot of support.”

Cruz was holding court with a collection of reporters in Statuary Hall long after most of his Senate colleagues had departed. Cruz also spoke with a large number of national and regional TV crews.

Asked what one word he would use to describe the speech, Cruz said: “disappointing.” Not surprisingly, he criticized the way the president spoke about health care and economic policy.

“Throughout the entire of the hour-plus-long speech there was no acknowledgment that the Obama economic policies are not working, that they have produced the lowest labor force participation since 1978, that millions of Americans have lost their jobs, have been forced into part-time work, have lost their health insurance,” Cruz said.

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton

"We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldnt make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan

"A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792

"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

I’m suprised that Cruz isn’t suspicious of the Obama retirement plan proposal. In light of the failure of Social Security, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to give their money to the government for “safe-keeping” or investment.

I do not think the Iranians will take out those two states,why would they..The democrats are like roaches in those states there are thousands of them..Iran would not want to lose there supporters..so they won’t do a thing to them..

I do not think the Iranians will take out those two states,why would they..The democrats are like roaches in those states there are thousands of them..Iran would not want to lose there supporters..so they wont do a thing to them..

The Islamic Terrorists(Redundant I know), did this the last time they attacked us (9-11).

They don't think they way you and I do.

7
posted on 01/29/2014 6:43:56 AM PST
by SoConPubbie
(Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)

Agreed. The Iranians do not have intercontinental missile capability and a nuclear attack on U.S. cities would result in the end of Iran. However, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa are entirely different in terms of Iran's capability. Israel is understood to have nuclear capacity, but how much they have is not widely known by the public.

If the Iranians nuked New York, there would no longer be a UN for Obama to call for help and a platform for tin horn dictators, despots and Arab oil sheiks to denounce Western democracies while begging them for money. Would Obama change his Iran policy if some environmental group told him that nuclear wars cause massive global warming?

I can't imagine why anyone would want to give their money to the gov't for "safe-keeping"

There are already plenty of options for retirement savings, including many with FDIC insured CD options. The only problem is that there isn't much point in tying up money for 1% (or so) interest. With the IRAs that now exist, the feds don't own our money.

In a federal program, that'll be bad news. It will end up being like an enhanced Social Security, an annuity type situation where when a person dies the money is gone. It's all about not passing wealth to the next generation.

It wouldn’t surprise me. If we get nuked it will be by ship. Plenty of ship yards where a ship could go in for repairs. The weapon would be placed on board and concealed. Maybe one or two of the crew might know. Ship would resume work. At some point it would pick up cargo destined for NY/NJ. Weapon is detonated on the Hudson. Nothing unusual would give the plot away until it was too late.

The possibility of a sneak attack is worrisome, as the military is demoralized and gutted under Obama. Remember that the reaction to the 9-11 attacks was lethargic to say the least. As I recall, the only available fighters in the Northeast belonged to the Massachusetts National Guard even though we had no overseas engagements at the time of the attack. Crashing a passenger jet into the Pentagon itself was inexcusable and demonstrated poor preparedness.

The only saving grace is that if Iran were to undertake a sneak attack, it would be signing its national death warrant.

However, instead of a fishing boat, a small yacht, say a 35' to 45' Bertram, would be able to cruise right up the Hudson, Potomac, St. Lawrence, Mississippi/Ohio/Missouri, etc. You could not get LA this way, but San Francisco or Seattle would be sitting ducks.

If they really want an air burst, use their recently granted Airline landing rights & load their shiny new bomb on one of their Iran Air Boeing 747SP airliners, file a flight plan for JFK or Dulles and program the in-flight entertainment system with the latest "Allahu Akbar" DVDs...

Well, they have cruise missiles and if they’ve worked at getting their warheads down to size they could equip their Kilo-class submarines with nuke cruise missiles. They have been rather focused on enrichment which lends one to believe they trying to get the warheads as small as possible.

What I fear is that were making the mistakes of the past  the same mistakes the Clinton administration made with North Korea. With North Korea, we relaxed the sanctions in exchange for amorphous promises, and the billions that North Korea received in relaxed sanctions, they used to develop nuclear weapons.

Thank you senator for saying what needs to be said while others seek to appease illegal aliens.

22
posted on 01/29/2014 7:09:17 AM PST
by McGruff
(I'm a conservative. Not necessarily a republican.)

Agreed. Just stick a Scud on a fishing boat or garbage scow owned by some Liberian or Panamanian front company, and you pass under the radar (literally and figuratively).

I am, however, far more worried about the Ragheads exploding such nukes 150-250 miles up and destroying our electrical and digital infrastructure via EMP. That'd kill far, far more people (up to 90% of the population within a year due to starvation, disease and fighting over food, etc.) than directly nuking a city, and would have the added advantage of destroying us as a power (let alone a superpower) forever. EMP is the ultimate in assymetric warfare.

23
posted on 01/29/2014 7:11:10 AM PST
by Ancesthntr
("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)

Just what I was thinking. The Marxist Kenyan as well as Bubba Clinton held more fundraisers in New York city than any other city in the country. The Marxist Kenyan for example last election was making trips every week to NYC, sometimes twice a week. Oh and he would always come during rush hour, evidently in a display of power. 9am in the morning or 5pm in the afternoon. Never 12 noon or 5am, no it always had to be directly at the height of rush hour. The best is when horse mutant Sarah Jessica Parker held a fundraiser for the Marxist Kenyan on a Friday at 5pm at the Plaza hotel which is on a main street to the 59th street bridge. I’ve heard people were stuck all night in their cars trying to get home, that’s how bad the traffic was. But you know, F ‘em. They think it’s funny to keep voting for Marxist dirtbags, then let them eat it. They just elected a hardcore Marxist as Mayor - Bill de Blasio aka Warren Wilhelm so to hell with them.

If a nuke was detonated in a USA city would the perp likely be a country like Iran knowing it would be anihilated? Or would it be due to deception like the Reichstag fire, and a wanabee dictator, and those wanting an excuse to impose martial law and disarm Americans?

Maybe I’ve become overly cynical in my old age of the motives of our rulers and others who claim to serve us while dragging us off to costly war to democratize those who don’t want democratized.

Like other Republicans, Cruz heard dangerous suggestions of presidential power grabbing. But he did identify two areas of potential common ground.

He was intrigued by the MyRA that Obama described as a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg. Depending on the details, Cruz said, he might be a supporter, because he likes the idea of empowering Americans to build wealth and become independent.

He also liked hearing Obama talk up the idea of streamlining federal red tape.

Thats something Republicans would be eager to work with him to do, he said, though hes used that rhetoric before and the record of the administration for the last five years has been increasing regulations, hammering small businesses and killing jobs.

Obama could start, he said, by approving the long-sought Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring oil from the tar sands of Canada to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas. The only reason we arent have 10s of thousands of high paying jobs right now is because President Obama is blocking it, he said.

Maybe not inter-continental, however the Russians have made a devious camouflage of sorts (Club K Missile System). Missile systems that fit snugly into shipping containers. I have not read up on them as of recent, but of my last reading, the missiles had a range of 400 miles (speed unknown). Some of the missiles can carry a payload of 320 lbs. I think it is safe to say they could carry kiloton range nuke warheads.

Side bar, anyone know how "far out" the United States is sweeping for radiological signs? What if a shipping container came in from the gulf? Last I heard / read the obama administration had shut down our southern defense monitoring.

32
posted on 01/29/2014 7:27:35 AM PST
by Ghost of SVR4
(So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)

Iran attacks, One Boomer Sub will launch all her rockets and obliterate every major city in Iran, It will become a forgotten, Lost Civilization overnight. Maybe we will take out North Korean as well for helping out. I believe we should launch two strikes—one attack, then another in 48 hours to target any places we missed.

No one knows how an EMP explosion would work—would it really take out a whole section of the nation or would it be spotty—some with power, some without. Would it be a return to the 19th Century? Also, what about our ships at sea and subs? Would they launch at any attacker—we would know from where it came and blast with H-Bombs any nation that attacked us—maybe take out others as well. We have B-52s, B-1s and all sorts of rockets. I would doubt if any nation would risk the fall out of such an attack. Iran would simply ceast to exist—maybe take out Pakistan and North Korea to boot.

Another interesting point to consider (I have been trying to find some info on this) in regards to an EMP; lots and lots of older homes in the U.S. with old school plaster walls and ceiling. Inside that plaster is metal mesh; kind of like a Faraday cage.

35
posted on 01/29/2014 7:49:36 AM PST
by Ghost of SVR4
(So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)

You know I really wish I could believe that. At one time I would have agreed whole heartedly. Why do I now think that we would try to talk to the attackers. Maybe pay them not to do it again. Apologize for something.

Can you tell I don’t trust anyone or anything associated with this regime?

"I am, however, far more worried about the Ragheads exploding such nukes 150-250 miles up and destroying our electrical and digital infrastructure via EMP. That'd kill far, far more people (up to 90% of the population within a year due to starvation, disease and fighting over food, etc.) than directly nuking a city, and would have the added advantage of destroying us as a power (let alone a superpower) forever. EMP is the ultimate in assymetric warfare."

The nukes the Iranians are capable of building in the short term won't do the trick for widespread EMP. To really nail large chunks of the US you need multi-hundred KT warheads. All this is not to say we shouldn't worry longer term!

“In a federal program, that’ll be bad news. It will end up being like an enhanced Social Security, an annuity type situation where when a person dies the money is gone. It’s all about not passing wealth to the next generation.”

Good point. I hadn’t thought of that, but it only makes the proposal less appealing. If they don’t get your stuff through medicaid, they’ll just do it via the new government retirement plans, I guess.

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